http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/pets-chat/ en-us Wed, 30 Dec 2009 04:05:27 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2417412/posts Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. And species. The newest hero came in the form of a dog named Milkyway. The small dog heard her owner faint in the bathroom at their home in Rushford last week and sprang into action. The dog got the attention of Priscilla Elit's sister for help. "She came to my bedroom door and she was just scratching wildly at the door for me to come open it," Elit's sister said. "And when I did, then I heard my sister and she was on the floor in the bathroom." Elit had suffered a stroke... WCCO.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2417412/posts#comment Wed, 30 Dec 2009 04:05:27 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2417052/posts A woman made an emergency 999 call to Greater Manchester Police (GMP) to say her cat was "doing her head in" because it was playing with string. The force has released audio footage of the call to remind people that the 999 service should not be abused. The woman said it was an emergency as it had "been going on for two hours". Between Christmas Eve and Boxing Day, GMP said it received 1,377 999 calls, but only a fraction were genuine emergencies. In another call a man contacted emergency services to say he was stuck on a patch of... BBC http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2417052/posts#comment Tue, 29 Dec 2009 17:54:31 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2417001/posts see Meercrat Toons Part I http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2417001/posts#comment Tue, 29 Dec 2009 16:35:49 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2416834/posts TOKYO (AFP) – First came see-through frogs. Now Japanese researchers have succeeded in producing goldfish whose beating hearts can be seen through translucent scales and skin. The transparent creatures are part of efforts to reduce the need for dissections, which have become increasingly controversial, particularly in schools. "You can see a live heart and other organs because the scales and skin have no pigments," said Yutaka Tamaru, an associate professor in the department of life science at Mie University. "You don't have to cut it open. You can see a tiny brain above the goldfish's black eyes." AFP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2416834/posts#comment Tue, 29 Dec 2009 12:02:00 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2416751/posts According to Jeff Gammage, in his Philadelphia Inquirer article "Valley Forge deer shoot postponed" the deer hunt scheduled for this winter at Valley Forge National Park has been called off, at least temporarily. Thanks to the concerted efforts of members from Friends of Animals, a New York based, international, non-profit animal advocacy organization along with the West Chester, PA based group Compassion for Animals, Respect the Environment (CARE) the deer hunt is on hold. Dedicated members have demonstrated in the park with an effort to educate the public on the deer cull. Friends of Animals and CARE flied a joint... Examiner http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2416751/posts#comment Tue, 29 Dec 2009 04:38:03 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2416531/posts Simultaneously increases nutritional value of the milk & fights global warming The first program in North America to naturally decrease global-warming gases caused by cows’ burps (enteric emissions) has been announced by environmental pioneer Stonyfield Farm, the world’s leading organic yogurt company (www.stonyfield.com). An unexpected benefit of the program is that it also significantly increases the nutritional value of the milk. “This is a watershed moment for the U.S. dairy industry,” said Stonyfield President and CE-Yo Gary Hirshberg. “By changing the feed we give our cows, we can simultaneously reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve milk’s nutritional content in a... Stonyfield Farm http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2416531/posts#comment Mon, 28 Dec 2009 21:55:51 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2416506/posts Seahorses are truly unique, and not just because of their unusual equine shape. Unlike most other fish, they are monogamous and mate for life. Rarer still, they are among the only animal species on Earth in which the male bears the unborn young. Found in shallow tropical and temperate waters throughout the world, these upright-swimming relatives of the pipefish can range in size from 0.6 inches (1.5 centimeters) to 14 inches (35 centimeters) long. Male seahorses are equipped with a brood pouch on their ventral, or front-facing, side. When mating, the female deposits her eggs into his pouch, and the... nationalgeographic http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2416506/posts#comment Mon, 28 Dec 2009 21:05:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2415998/posts (Nearly 76,000 online voters chose their favorites from a list of pop culture dogs drawn from television, film, literature, sports and art.) NEW YORK — The Peanuts comic strip character Snoopy was named the top dog in pop culture by the American Kennel Club on Tuesday as part of its 125th anniversary celebration, beating out a college sports mascot. Nearly 76,000 online voters chose their favorites from a list of pop culture dogs drawn from television, film, literature, sports and art, the kennel club said. Snoopy was the pensive dog whose best friend was a bird and who seemed to... Mother Nature Network http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2415998/posts#comment Mon, 28 Dec 2009 01:31:10 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2415894/posts If you have a pet named Max, you’re hardly alone. Max was the most popular name for both male dogs and male cats in 2009, according to the Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston. The hospital compiled its unscientific list from the more than 50,000 patients it treated this year. The top name for female dogs was Bella.... bostonherald http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2415894/posts#comment Sun, 27 Dec 2009 21:01:29 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2415743/posts Animal shelters across the country have reported a sharp surge in abandoned animals, many cut loose by owners who can no longer afford to care for them. Now, Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R., Mich.) has introduced a bill that would use the federal tax code to help. The Humanity and Pets Partnered Through the Years (HAPPY) Act would allow pet owners to deduct the cost of food, veterinary care, and other pet-related expenses from their income taxes—up to $3500 per year. McCotter says the bill would provide tax relief for pet owners while at the same time strengthening “the human-animal bond.”Leo... Parade Magazine http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2415743/posts#comment Sun, 27 Dec 2009 15:31:21 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2415659/posts Sechelt dogs that "without provocation" chase any animal — be it a rat, squirrel, seagull, bear or cougar — would violate a dog licensing and control amendment bylaw that passed three readings at the Dec. 16 council meeting. The first draft of the bylaw, prepared by District of Sechelt staff, would only have stopped dogs from chasing, biting or attacking domesticated animals. But at committee of the whole Dec. 9, Coun. Keith Thirkell suggested expanding the bylaw to include wild animals and birds as well. Thirkell argued that this would bring it in line with provincial and federal legislation that... Coast Reporter http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2415659/posts#comment Sun, 27 Dec 2009 09:45:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2415571/posts <p>HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) -- Why is the cafeteria at the Pennsylvania Capitol infested with mice?</p> hosted http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2415571/posts#comment Sun, 27 Dec 2009 02:23:13 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2415421/posts It was a Christmas gift to Kenya this week when four northern white rhinos were relocated from the Czech Republic back to the wild in Laikipia. A Boeing 747 transported two males, Sudan, 37, and Suni, 30, and two females Najim, 20, and her offspring Fatu, 9, in containers specially equipped for the tw-tonne animals. They were then driven out of Nairobi to Ol Pejeta Conservancy. The relocation of the four rhinos — half the known population of the extremely rare animal left in the world — is seen as handing them a lifeline. Rhino experts believe that releasing the... Saturday Nation http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2415421/posts#comment Sat, 26 Dec 2009 19:51:34 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2415405/posts East Pennsboro Township, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania - Friends and neighbors in two communities have embraced the family of an East Pennsboro Township woman who ran to rescue her dog after it was struck by a car and was struck herself. Tammy Champaign, a sixth-grade teacher at Locust Grove Elementary in the Red Lion School District, is recovering from the significant injuries she received after being struck by a pickup truck as she attempted to help her golden retriever, Roxy, who died. Police have filed no charges, saying the event was simply a tragic accident. Brian Champaign, Tammy’s brother-in-law, said a... pennlive http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2415405/posts#comment Sat, 26 Dec 2009 19:08:33 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2415371/posts Chimps remain cool under fire, possessing a near human ability to predict how wildfires spread and react accordingly. This newfound capability of chimpanzees to understand flames might shed light on when and how our distant ancestors first learned to control fire, scientists now suggest. Primatologist Jill Pruetz at Iowa State University in Ames was observing savanna chimpanzees in Senegal in 2006 as people were setting wildfires, an annual tradition that clears land and aids hunting. Most areas within the chimpanzees' home range are burned to some degree. "It was the end of the dry season, so the fires burn so... livescience http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2415371/posts#comment Sat, 26 Dec 2009 17:46:45 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2415354/posts Pictures of the Year 2009: Cute Animals Two five-week-old leopard cubs named Chant and Sloka sit with a one-year-old orangutan named Rishi, at T.I.G.E.R.S. (The Institue For Endangered Species) in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Telegraph(UK) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2415354/posts#comment Sat, 26 Dec 2009 17:08:35 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2415284/posts In the words of Peaches and Herb, "Reunited and it feels so good!" On December 12, Gayl O'Donnell of Lake Wylie, South Carolina got the shock of her life when her veterinarian's office called and said they had her cat Sonny, reports the Citizen-Times. O'Donnell hadn't seen Sonny since he went missing in the late 1990s while in the care of O'Donnell's boyfriend -- a dozen years ago. “I was quiet for a minute,” O'Donnell tells the Citizen-Times. “They gave me the [microchip] number. I was in disbelief.” Indeed, it was the microchip that Sonny had been implanted with all... The Examiner http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2415284/posts#comment Sat, 26 Dec 2009 14:27:00 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2415020/posts He belongs to Tracie Steger of Spring Hill and disappeared on Nov. 15. Steger searched for hours in the dark. She put up LOST KITTY signs. Neighborhood kids handed out fliers. People walked the neighborhood, calling out the cat's name. A little girl across the street told Steger she saw a car hit a cat and drive off. It had a gray coat. Steger winced. Another day Steger saw whiskers between the teeth of a hungry vulture. She scared it off and saved a kitten that wasn't Giggle-Blizzard. On Thanksgiving night, they heard something yelping on the porch. There was... sun-sentinel http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2415020/posts#comment Fri, 25 Dec 2009 18:09:07 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2414853/posts I just thought I would share this Gem with you and wish you all a Very Merry Christmas! YouTube http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2414853/posts#comment Fri, 25 Dec 2009 06:39:23 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2414696/posts Kitty version of the famous "Carol Of The Bells". :)=^..^= YouTube http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2414696/posts#comment Thu, 24 Dec 2009 22:05:25 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2414601/posts Very well done gift of Christmas for all of us, done by this gentleman!He is truly talented and I love ALL of his animal videos but especially the cat ones! YouTube -klaatu42's Channel http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2414601/posts#comment Thu, 24 Dec 2009 18:59:27 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2414582/posts Cute flash video for pet owners. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2414582/posts#comment Thu, 24 Dec 2009 18:26:48 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2414330/posts This cute little kitty gets into the Christmas spirit. Gimundo http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2414330/posts#comment Thu, 24 Dec 2009 07:35:44 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2414254/posts Find out why bees never crash land, and how their technique could help engineers to design new aircraft.Whether landing on a picnic table, underneath a flower petal, or on a wall of a hive, bees always manage to touch down without crashing or tumbling. Now, for the first time, scientists have figured out how these insects maneuver themselves onto all sorts of surfaces, from right side up to upside-down. The bees' technique, which depends mostly on eyesight, may help engineers design a new generation of automated aircraft that would be undetectable to radar or sonar systems and would make... Discovery http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2414254/posts#comment Thu, 24 Dec 2009 03:54:12 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2414159/posts DURANT, Okla. -- The Oklahoma State Health Department is preparing to test a 60-pound beaver for rabies after it bit a small boy outside an apartment complex in southern Oklahoma. Tammy Lane said her 5-year-old son went outside to get the family cat on Saturday. But instead of finding a feline, he was attacked by a beaver after trying to pet the animal, according to KOCO-TV in Oklahoma City. "I heard screaming. I went to see what was happening. His leg was pretty bad," Lane said. She rushed her son to a local hospital and called police. "They didn't believe... koco.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2414159/posts#comment Thu, 24 Dec 2009 01:04:26 GMT